Primus Guma Guma Super Stars Season 4 (PGGSS4) comes to an end this Saturday. Sound engineers, stage managers, security and all contestants are at work to make sure it becomes the biggest and most epic musical climax of the year. In this final interview of PGGSS 4 contestants; Dream Boys’ Platini (representing his partner TMC) and Bruce Melody, talk about their dreams, future plans and hopes of leaving a memorable legacy. 

BRUCE MELODY

What is your biggest dream as a musician?

I have always wanted to be a music star and now that I am; my dream is to take Rwandan music across the globe. 

What future strategy do you have in place to help you go beyond borders?

I intend to continue working with many East African musicians. So far I have collabos with Ugandan artistes such as Jamal, Fille and Moze Radio. Riding on the success of the songs I recorded with them, I now intend to go to Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya for more collabos. 

What influence has participating in PGGSS 4 had on your future plans?

This was my first time to participate in PGGSS 4 and the exposure I gained from performing for such big crowds is invaluable. Now that I have gained the exposure, the prize that I will get will help me record with established artistes that I have always wished to collaborate with in the future. 

What important lesson(s) have you learned from the competition?

Give fans what they want not what you as an artiste feels like doing. Fans are our bosses and if they want something, give it to them. 

What are some of the things you had set to achieve and have already achieved?

I had planned to do an album launch and was able to do it in February. All the collabos I had set out to do, I have done. I wanted to win a Salax music award and I did when I won the Best Rn’B male artiste and lastly participating in PGGSS 4. Here, I can say that the biggest achievement is being in the top three. 

Which artiste(s) do you wish to sing with?

There are two artistes on my mind that I think about every time. There is Fally Ipupa from DR Congo and Mr. Flavour from Nigeria. Come what may, I have to record a song with each one of them.

You stand to win a lot of money, what plans do you have for the money in case you win?

I don’t usually count my eggs before they hatch but I will invest in taking my music to an international level. Produce quality music, videos and do music tours. 

What kind of musician would you want to be in future? 

I want to be a legend. I want to be a musician whose songs will always be enjoyed by the young, the youth and adults. I want to mentor as many musicians as possible and build a music school. 

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DREAM BOYS

What plans do you have for the coming year? 

Our plan right now is winning this year’s PGGSS 4. However, for any prize that we win, our first priority will be to produce good quality music and videos. Secondly, we intend to increase on the number of concerts we have been doing in a year. We intend to increase our shows and they will all be live performances.   

Where do you see yourselves in 5 years? 

We want to be able to raise the Rwandan flag high by putting Rwandan music on the African continent at a level where it can easily be recognised. And we want that achievement to be through Dream Boys. 

Music is always changing, how do you hope to blend the new styles and your own style? 

Music is all about innovation, creativity and adapting. That is why you see people who produce hit songs for one year and go into oblivion. The reason is that they usually don’t plan accordingly or learn to adapt. We have our own style but if a new singing style comes up, we have to think of away to blend the two styles.

Has your participation in PGGSS4 influenced your future plans?

Of course! We have gained more experience in singing live music which is why we intend to increase on the number of our live performances. Secondly, with prizes that we shall be given, it will help us grow our career to regional and international levels. 

What have you achieved so far from what you had planned at the start of the year? 

We are already in the top three of PGGSS 4 and that is an achievement for us. Secondly, we had planned on launching our 4th album which we did in February. Currently, we are working on our fifth album and so far we have four songs. So, it is safe to say that we are on the right track.

Would you consider participating in PGGSS next year if things don’t go as you planned this year?

That depends on the organisers. If the conditions are favourable for the runners-up, then we can consider but if they decide that the top three will not be joining, it is still fine with us. But anything is much appreciated. 

What plans do you have for the money you will be awarded at the finale?

We plan to strengthen our music career by recording with big artistes. We also plan to work on our personal development and also try to help other upcoming artistes. 

How would you like to be remembered in the future? 

We would like to be remembered as the group that popularised Rwandan music on the continent. We would also like to be known as musicians who helped groom various musicians across the country.